The World Bank’s private lending arm is proposing to lend Bidco the cash the company requires to expand its Thika-based plant and construct a new factory on the same land in Kiambu County.

IFC will also syndicate another Sh1.17 billion, bringing the total IFC-linked investment to Sh3.71 billion.

“The proposed investment will consist of a corporate A loan investment of up to $23 million (Sh2 billion) on IFC’s account and a syndicated B loan investment of up to $13.5 million (Sh1.17 billion),” said disclosure notes released by the multilateral lender.

The IFC did not indicate the financiers of the syndicated loan or where Bidco will get the balance $9.5 million or Sh826 million.

The disclosure says Bidco will expand capacity at the Thika plant for the existing product lines while the new plant is to be constructed for new products.

Bidco currently manufactures edible oils, cooking fats, soaps, baking powder, animal feeds and detergents in 30 brands that control over 60 per cent of the cooking fat and 54 per cent of the cooking oil market in Kenya, according to Consumer Insight.

IFC said that Bidco’s expansion project will also benefit about 20,000 farmers who will be added to the company’s supply chain.

Currently the company sources raw materials from an estimated 5,000 farmers. Another source of raw material is the 20,000-acre palm oil plantation in Kalangala Island, located on the Ugandan side of Lake Victoria.